The invention relates to an ear irrigation device and, more particularly, to a device for deflecting and receiving fluid and waste issuing from a patient's ear as the ear is being irrigated by a caregiver.
Ear irrigation for the removal of wax and other waste from the ear is well-known and many devices are available to receive such waste issuing from a patient's ear during irrigation. Some devices, such as U.S. Pat. No. 989,839 are of a single piece construction which totally encloses the patient's ear. Although such a device protects a caregiver from the fluid and waste during the irrigation procedure, such a device is of limited usefulness in that the portion of the device extending into the patient's ear has a fixed orientation. This fixed orientation is a result of the seal which must be in place, between the waste deflector and the portion of the device entering the patient's ear, to protect the caregiver from contact with the waste. Conversely, devices such as that shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,201,212 have been developed which allow liberal access to a patient's ear, but expose the caregiver to possible dangerous contaminants from the ear during the irrigation process.
The caregiver's mucosa, especially the caregiver's eye mucosa is especially susceptible to contamination due to contact with waste issuing from a patient's ear. During irrigation of a patient's auditory canal, the caregiver must often place their eyes very close to the auditory canal to accurately manipulate the irrigator within the patient's ear. Given the obvious unpleasantness, as well as possible deleterious consequences of caregiver mucosa contact with bodily waste and fluids, such as possible infection with HIV or hepatitis, it is desirable to provide an apparatus for capturing fluid and waste issuing from a patient's ear during irrigation. Ideally, such a device would not hinder the irrigation procedure, but would allow liberal manipulation of the irrigator while protecting the caregiver from exposure to the waste products.
Even a combination of the two aforementioned prior art devices would not produce an effective apparatus. Because both apparatuses disclose inserting an irrigation device normal to the plane of the ear, the aperture allowing the irrigator access to the ear must be of a sufficient area to allow manipulation of the irrigator. An opening of sufficient size to allow manipulation of the irrigator, however, would allow sufficient room for fluid and waste to escape in the direction of the caregiver leading to the undesirable contact of the waste and fluid with the caregiver.
The difficulties of the prior art discussed hereinabove are substantially eliminated by the present invention.